D： I'd like to get the ball rolling（開始）by talking about prices.
R： Shoot.（洗耳恭聽）I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
D： Your products are very good. But I'm a little worried about the prices you're asking.
D： （chuckles莞爾） That's not exactly what I had in mind. I know your research costs are high， but what I'd like is a 25% discount.
R： That seems to be a little high， Mr. Smith. I don't know how we can make a profit with those numbers.
D： Please， Robert， call me Dan. （pause） Well， if we promise future business――volume sales（大筆交易）――that will slash your costs（大量減低成本）for making the Exec-U-ciser， right？
R： Yes， but it's hard to see how you can place such large orders. How could you turn over（銷磬）so many？ （pause） We'd need a guarantee of future business， not just a promise.
D： We said we wanted 1000 pieces over a six-month period. What if we place orders for twelve months， with a guarantee？
R： If you can guarantee that on paper， I think we can discuss this further.
Robert回公司呈報Dan的提案后，老板很滿意對方的采購計劃；但在折扣方面則希望Robert能繼續維持強硬的態度，盡量探出對方的底線。就在這七上七八的價格翹翹板上，雙方是否能找到彼此地平衡點呢？請看下面分解：
R： Even with volume sales， our coats for the Exec-U-Ciser won't go down much.
R： We could take a cut（降低）on the price. But 25% would slash our profit margin（毛利率）。We suggest a compromise――10%.
D： That's a big change from 25！ 10 is beyond my negotiating limit. （pause） Any other ideas？
R： I don't think I can change it right now. Why don't we talk again tomorrow？
D： Sure. I must talk to my office anyway. I hope we can find some common ground（共同信念）on this.
D： Robert， I've been instructed to reject the numbers you proposed； but we can try to come up with some thing else.
D： I understand. We propose a structured deal（階段式和約）。 For the first six months， we get a discount of 20%， and the next six months we get 15%.
R： Dan， I can't bring those numbers back to my office――they'll turn it down flat（打回票）。
D： Then you'll have to think of something better， Robert.
Dan上回提議前半年給他們二成折扣，后半年再降為一成半，經Robert推翻后，Dan再三表示讓步有限。您知道Robert在這折扣縫隙中游走，如何才能摸出雙方都同意的數字呢？他從錦囊里又掏出什么妙計了呢？請看下面分解：
R： How about 15% the first six months， and the second six months at 12%， with a guarantee of 3000 units？
D： That's a lot to sell， with very low profit margins.
R： It's about the best we can do， Dan. （pause） We need to hammer something out （敲定）today. If I go back empty-handed， I may be coming back to you soon to ask for a job. （smiles）
D： （smiles） O.K.， 17% the first six months， 14% for the second？！
R： Good. Let's iron out（解決）the remaining details. When do you want to take delivery（取貨）？
D： We'd like you to execute the first order by the 31st.
R： Let me run through this again： the first shipment for 1500 units， to be delivered in 27 days， by the 31st.
D： Right. We couldn't handle much larger shipments.
R： Fine. But I'd prefer the first shipment to be 1000 units， the next 2000. The 31st is quite soon —— I can't guarantee 1500.
D： I can agree to that. Well， if there's nothing else， I think we've settled everything.
R： Dan， this deal promises big returns（賺大錢）for both sides. Let's hope it's the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship.
今天Robert的辦公室出現了一個生面孔――Kevin Hughes，此人代表美國一家運動產品公司，專程來臺灣尋找加工。接洽的加工產品市運動型“磁質石膏護墊”，受傷的運動員包上這種產品上場比賽，即可保護受傷部位，且不妨礙活動。現在，我們就來看看兩人的會議現況：
R： We found your proposal quite interesting， Mr. Hughes. We'd like to weigh the pros and cons（衡量得失）with you.
K： Mr. Robert Liu， we've looked all over Asia for a manufacturer； your company is one of the most suitable.
R： If we can settle a number of basic questions， I'm confident in saying that we are the most suitable for your needs.
K： I hope so. And what might be the basic questions you have？
R： First， do you intend to take a position in（投資于……）our company？
K： No， we don't， Mr. Liu. This is just OEM.
R： I see. Then， the most important thing is the size of your orders. We'll have to invest a great deal of money in the new production process.
K： If you can guarantee continuing quality， we can sign a commitment for 75，000 pieces a year， for five years.
R： At U.S. $1000 a piece， we'll make an average return of just 4%. That's too great a financial burden for us.
K： I'll check the number later， but what do you propose？
R： Here's how you can demonstrate commitment to this deal. Make it ten years， increase the unit price， and provide technology transfer.
Robert在前面的談判最后提出簽約十年的要求，Kevin會不會答應呢？如果答案是否決的話，Robert又有何打算？他一心為公司的利益打算，極力爭取技術轉移地協定，而對方會甘心出讓此項比金錢更珍貴的資產嗎？請看以下分解：
K： We can't sign any commitment for ten years. But if your production quality is good after the first year， we could extend the contract and increase our yearly purchase.
R： That sounds reasonable. But could you shed some light on（透露）the size of your orders？
K： If we are happy with your quality， we might increase our purchase to 100，000 a year， for a two-year period.
R： Excuse me， Mr. Hughes， but it seems to me we're giving up too much in this case. We'd be giving up the five-year guarantee for increased yearly sales.
K： Mr. Liu， you've got to give up something to get something.
R： If you're asking us to take such a large gamble（冒險）for just two year's sales， I'm sorry， but you're not in our ballpark（接受的范圍）。
K： What would it take to keep Pacer interested？
R： A three-year guarantee， not two. And a qualilty inspection（質量檢查）tour after one year is fine， but we'd like some of our personnel on the team.
K： Acceptable. Anything else？
R： We'd be making huge capital outlay（資本支出）for the production process， so we'd like to set up a technology transfer agreement， to help us get off the ground（取得初步進步）。
行至此處，談判都還算是在和諧的氣氛下進行，雙方各自尋求獲利的方案。但針對技術轉移這一項，Robert所提的保證和要求能否消弭Kevin心中的顧慮，而今此談判終露曙光呢？以下對話即為您揭曉：
K： If we transferred our technical and research expertise（技術與研究的專業知識）， what would stop you from making th esame product？
R： We'd be willing to sign a commitment. We'll put it in writing （書面保證）that we won't copycat（仿冒）the Sports Cast within five years after ending our contract.
K： Sounds O.K.， if it's for any “similar” product. That would give us better protection. But we'd have to interest on a ten year limit.
R： Fine. We have no intention of becoming your competitor.
K： Great. Then let's settle the details of the transfer agreement.
R： We'll need you to send over some key personnel to help us purchase the equipment and train our technical people. How long do you anticipate that will take？
K： A week to put the team together， three weeks to train your people. If so， when do you estimate starting production？
R： Our first production run（一批的生產）should be one week after our team finishes its training. But I'd like your team to stay a full week after that， to handle any kitches that pop up（處理突發的事件）。
K： Can do. Everything seems to be set， Robert. I'll bring in a sample contract tomorrow. If you like， we can sign it then.
Botany Bay是家生產高科技醫療用品的公司。其產品“病例磁盤”可儲存個人病例；資料取用方便，真是達到“一盤在手，妙用無窮”的目的。此產品可廣泛使用于醫院、養老院、學校等。因此Pacer有意爭取該產品軟硬件設備的代理權。以下就是Robert與Botany Bay的代表，Mark Davis，首度會面的情形：
M： Mr. Liu， total sales onthe Medic-Disk were U.S.$ 100，000 last year， through our agent in Hong Kong.
R： Our research shows most of your sales， are made in the Taipei area. Your agent has only been able to target the Taipei market（把……作為目標市場）。
M： True， but we are happy with the sales. It's a new product. How could you do better？
R： We're already well-established in the medical products business. The Medic-Disk would be a good addition to our product range.
M： Can you tell me what your sales have been like in past years？
R： In the past three years， our unit sales have gone up by 350 percent； profits have gone up almost 400 percent.
M： What kind of distribution capabilities（分銷能力）do you have？
R： We have salespeople in four major areas around the island， selling directly to customers.
M： What about your sales？
R： In terms of unit sales， 55 percent are still from the Taipei area. The rest comes from the Kaohsiung， Taichung， and Tainan areas. That's a great deal of untapped market potential（未開發的市場潛力）， Mr. Davis
Robert說明Pacer在行銷與技術上的基礎后，終于取信了Mark， 也為此談判邁開成功的第一步。在談判傭金魚合約期限這類議題之前，Robert想先確定一些條件，包括獨家代理權與Botany Bay所能提供的協助。你知道Robert運用了哪些技巧，才不會讓Mark以此作條件來威脅Pacer讓步？我們看看Robert怎么說：
M： Mr. Liu， what kinds of sales do you think you could get？
R： Well， to begin with， we'd have to insist on sole agency in Taiwan. We believe we could spike（激增） sales by 30% to 40% in the first year. But certain conditions would have to be met.
M： What kinds of conditions？
R： We'd need your full technical and marketing support.
M： Could you explain what you mean by that？
R： We'd like you to give training to our technical staff； we'd also like you to pay a fee for after-sales service.
M： It's no problem with the training. As for service support， we usually pay a yearly fee， pegged to（根據）total sales.
R： Sounds OK， if we can come to terms（達成協定） on how much is fair. As for marketing support， we would like you to assume 50% of all costs.
M： We'd prefer 40%. Many customers learn about our products through international magazines， trade shows， and so on. We pick up the tab（付款）for that， but you get the sales in Taiwan.
R： We'll think about it， and talk more tomorrow.
M： Fine. We'd like you to tell us about your marketing plans.
